Myanmar has begun voting on Sunday in a staggered national election that many political observers and opposition figures have dismissed as illegitimate, citing the exclusion of key political parties, the detention of opposition leaders and ongoing armed conflict that has made polling impossible across large parts of the country.
The ballot is the first organised by the military administration since it seized power nearly five years ago, triggering mass protests and a prolonged civil war. Large areas of Myanmar remain under the control of resistance groups, and analysts say turnout is likely to be deeply affected.
Authorities have warned against disrupting the polls, introducing a law making interference a serious criminal offence with punishments that can include the death penalty. Local media reported explosions in at least two regions ahead of voting. In Mandalay, three people were taken to hospital following a rocket attack on an empty house, the BBC reported, while multiple homes were damaged in Myawaddy township near the Thai border after a series of blasts.
The junta has rejected criticism of the vote, saying the process is intended to restore multi-party democracy. After casting his vote in the capital Nay Pyi Taw, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing told the BBC that the election would be “free and fair”. He added, “I am the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, a civil servant. I can’t just say that I want to be president,” stressing that the electoral process involves three phases. Earlier, he warned that refusing to vote was equivalent to rejecting progress toward democracy.
The election comes as Myanmar faces severe economic decline and intensifying clashes between the military and ethnic armed groups. Analysts believe the junta is hoping the vote, reportedly backed diplomatically by China, will strengthen its claim to domestic and international legitimacy.
International monitoring of the vote remains highly restricted. According to Myanmar-based news portal Irrawaddy.com, the junta has invited observers from allied and authoritarian-leaning governments but has barred local independent monitoring networks. Civil society groups that once played a key role in elections say many of their members are either in hiding or were refused accreditation due to registration rules.
Irrawaddy.com had reported that Thailand, Laos and India are among the governments expected to send observers, with close partners China and Russia also likely to take part. By contrast, ASEAN, the European Union and the Asian Network for Free Elections have declined to participate. Several political parties have raised concerns that such observers cannot be regarded as neutral.
Rights groups and exiled politicians have called for voters to boycott the polls, arguing that they take place under coercion and at a time when tens of thousands of political prisoners remain behind bars. With fighting ongoing across the country, it is unclear how many citizens will be able , or willing, to participate in the process.
